Abelia flowers

Abelia has beautiful pink, purple, or peachy bell-shaped flowers in late spring. New types are more cold hardy. Plant it in a mixed border alongside perennials.

Rhododendron flowers 

Showy spring flowers in purples, pinks, yellow, and white pop against the glossy green foliage of this shrub. New varieties of rhododendron are more cold tolerant, but make sure it gets dappled shade.

Rose of Sharon Flowers

In late summer when many other flowering shrubs have lost steam, this plant is in its full glory with pink, white, lavender, or even blue flowers that bloom well into fall. New types grow in a column (pillar) shape that's sized right for small gardens.

Deutzia flowers

This spring-blooming shrub has a mounded form with gracefully arching branches. Some types are low growing and work well as a beautiful ground cover too.

The Crape Myrtle Flowers

Some like it hot! These lovely shrubs ignore the heat and bloom all summer long with frilly, vibrant flowers in shades of white, purple, crimson, or pink. Some types become small trees; others are dwarf varieties that remain three to four feet tall and wide.

Caryopteris flowers

As the rest of your garden winds down, this little beauty is taking off. This sun lover, also called bluebeard, has charming blue blooms from late summer to fall. Plus, bees and butterflies love it! Plant it in masses along borders for maximum impact.

Spirea flowers

This reliable bloomer rarely needs your attention. New types maintain their mounded shape without pruning. Long-lasting clusters of red, white, or pink flowers offer beautiful contrast against lime green, deep green, or gold foliage. It's equally at home in mass plantings, as a low hedge, or alongside perennials.

The Dwarf Magnolia Flowers

Magnolia trees (Magnolia) can be much smaller than you might think. "While most gardeners think of native magnolias as large majestic trees, there are several dwarf selections that fit well in a small space garden," says Nardozzi. He has a variety called 'Jane' on his property. "It has stayed below 12 feet tall after 10 years of growth with showy purple flowers that repeat bloom," he says. Another option he recommends is the variety 'Little Gem,' which is a good Southern dwarf magnolia with white flowers and evergreen leaves, he says.

Weeping Redbud Flowers

Weeping redbud (Cercis canadensis)  produces tiny pink-hued blooms in the spring, and 'Pink Heartbreaker' is a dwarf cultivar of this favorite tree. "Bower & Branch introduced 'Pink Heartbreaker' about 15 years ago, and the original discovered plant is still only 7 feet tall and about 15 feet wide," says Eaton. "These trees are more hardy than regular redbuds [and] are a great focal point, patio tree, or window tree!"

White Dwarf Fothergilla Flowers

A slow-growing deciduous shrub, dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenia) has a compact, mounded habit. Terminal bottlebrush-like spikes produce white flowers and yellow anthers that fill gardens with interest in April and May. "This plant has suckers. They need to be removed if you do not want colonies of these shrubs," says Langelo.